From the season opener at Mankato West, when she scored a school-record 35 points, Amber Sickels enjoyed her share of time in the limelight during the 2000-2001 basketball season.

Saturday, March 24, 2001

From the season opener at Mankato West, when she scored a school-record 35 points, Amber Sickels enjoyed her share of time in the limelight during the 2000-2001 basketball season.

According to her coach, Karol Hansen, it was the result of countless hours in gymnasiums where there are no spectators, cheerleaders or scoreboards.

&uot;I don’t know if anybody in the area has put in the time Amber has,&uot; said Hansen. &uot;She’s truly a gym rat. She had a goal, to improve her basketball game, and she did it.&uot;

Yes, she did.

Sickels has always shown signs of talent, from her sophomore year on the varsity, but this past season she took her game to another level. The result? She’s the Tribune’s Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year.

A 5-foot-8 senior guard, Sickels posted the best scoring statistics of any player in the area while competing in what’s considered one of the strongest conferences in the state, the Big Nine. She totaled 320 points, the third most by a Tiger in one season, averaging 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3 steals and 2.2 assists.

Sickels finished her varsity career with 755 points, No. 3 on Albert Lea’s all-time scoring list. She also ranks high in other career categories, standing No. 2 on three-pointers, No. 4 in steals and No. 4 in assists.

&uot;She has all the aspects of the game,&uot; said Hansen. &uot;She’s very quick. She has one of the best reverse-pivot spin dribbles I’ve seen; not many people can stop it. Amber is also a strong, physical player. I think the more physical it is, the more she likes it. She’s improved a lot at creating a total game.&uot;

A key this past season, according to Hansen, was Sickels’ ability to stay out of foul trouble, something that was a problem in the past.

&uot;She did not foul out of one game this year,&uot; said Hansen.